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Semper Reformanda and the SBC

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Written By Tim Brister

Tim has a missionary heart for his hometown to love those close to him yet far from God. He is husband to Dusti and father to Nolan, Aiden, and Adelyn - fellow pilgrims to our celestial city.

The latter part of this week I will be joining hundreds of other ministers at the True Church Conference being held at First Baptist Church Muscle Shoals.  I am excited about the opportunity to live-blog the events that take place, but more importantly meet some of the people who will be attending.  The theme of the conference is “The Miracle of Conversion” and the titles of the messages look great.  However, I would add an implicit title having to do with semper reformanda.  Any who knows FBCMS is aware of the reformation they have been experiencing over the past decade.  Having grown up relatively close to the church and aware of the events which have led to the place where the church is today, it is encouraging to see a movement and thrust for developing churches with sound doctrine and robust ecclesiology.  What is symbolic about this conference is the assembly of like-minded men and women gathering at a church who is pioneering the work of church reform not only in the state of Alabama but across the SBC. 

Over the past month or so, I have been thinking about where things are heading on an ecclesiological level.  Yesterday morning, I was talking with one of my professors at church about changes that are developing in the SBC.  My concern is that some of the issues being addressed which begin at the academic level do not filter down and are implemented in the ecclesiological level.  The reality is more church members are reading end-time eschatology novels and about lucky-charm prayers such as Jabez rather than books about the Church or Biblical Theology.  While in academia and in the blogosphere, Baptist distinctives such as regenerate church membership, church discipline, and church eldership, and the ordinances of the church are often addressed, I am afraid that the conversation is seldom if ever heard in the pulpit much less the pew. 

We don’t need another report from LifeWay or poll from Barna to remind us of the dreaded state the Church is in today.  But rather than emphasizing the decline in baptisms,
or the increase of unregenerate church membership,
or the growing secularism of America,
or Canaanization of the Church,
or the professionalization of the pulpit,
or the theraputic self-help pop-psychology of “Christian” counseling,
or the indictment of the best seller shelf of books in our local bookstore,
or the self-refurbishing, culture-copying CCM top 20 hits . . .

I would like to emphasize what things I have recently found to be very encouraging news of reform and renewal in the Church.  For instance, I think of pastor Buddy Gray who every year has been taking literally hundreds of men in his church through Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology.  I think of Al Jackson and the massive missionary force that has burgeoned at Lakeview Baptist Church in Auburn, Alabama.  I think of Keith Pugh who, instead of retiring as pastor of a healthy and growing church where he pastored for over a decade, left in his ministerial prime to invest his life in a church steeped in debt and about to close its doors, going from a church of some 900 (attending weekly) to around 150 (Dr. Timothy George is the interim of the Pugh’s former church).  I think of Jeff Noblit who has endured fierce criticism and enduring opposition in his efforts to build not a “mega” church but a “true” church.  These pastors, all from my home state of Alabama, are an inspiration to me and I hope are an encouragement to others as well.

Having provided these examples of reform and renewal of churches in the SBC,

do you know of any examples that you could share with me (and others) where such reform and renewal is taking place? 

I would love to hear about what God is doing in and through the local church across the country.  May Christ whose promised to build His Church continue to bring reform, revival, and renewal to His people for His glory and His name.

17 thoughts on “Semper Reformanda and the SBC”

  1. Another ‘Bama Church (The Church at Brook Hills) is sending over 2000 people this year to work alongside our brothers and sisters in Honduras, Guatemala, Venezuela, Ukraine including our persecuted brothers in the Sudan in order to make disciples in these and other nations!

  2. The examples of reform and renewal you cite are encouraging, but the ecclesiological problems you point out are also quite distressing. I’m convinced that we’ve been trying to foster a Baptist identity built on foundations other than Biblical theology. If we want to see true reform and renewal in our local Southern Baptist churches, we’ve got to get the word out.

    1. Baptist Identity Is Not Rooted In Particular Programs

    Being a Baptist means more than simply participating in programs sponsored and executed by local Baptist churches. While attendance and participation in worship, study, and service are evidences of regenerate church membership, they are not the ultimate criteria for determining one’s identity as a Baptist. In other words, one is not a Baptist simply because one attends a Baptist church.

    2. Baptist Identity Is Not Rooted In Partisan Politics

    Being a Baptist means more than simply confessing the ideological and political positions of Baptist leaders and laymen. For reasons altogether indifferent to the cause of Christ, men and women often find themselves in agreement with the dominant political sympathies of the local Baptist church. As a result, politics cannot be considered a trustworthy gauge for determining one’s identity as a Baptist.

    3. Baptist Identity Is Not Rooted in Personal Preferences.

    Being a Baptist means more than simply adopting the sub cultural customs and courtesies of the local Baptist church. One does not become a Baptist by conforming to the current fashion trends, musical tastes, and extra biblical preferences of the local Baptist church. Baptist Identity is rooted in something deeper than externals.

    Calling ourselves Baptist is primarily a theological statement, and yet we’ve ignored the obvious theological implications and elevated irrelevant criteria to a primary position for determining our identity. Can one truly be a Baptist without at least a basic understanding the baptistic convictions that distinguish us from other denominations? I’m not trying to sound elitist here, but if we ignore our theological distinctives, then what’s the point in using the label Baptist?

  3. Dan,

    Thanks for passing that article along. Man, it’s got to be the longest article I have ever read online. Actually, I read about half of it. I will get to the rest of it later. Oh, and the preacher paparazzi will back in force this weekend, so bring on the 100-400 baby!

  4. Brian,

    Thanks for sharing about Brookhills. I have heard great things about Dr. David Platt, though I have not keep up with Brookhills in recent years. May God continue to bless the missions efforts of God’s people in Brookhills!

  5. Han Sola,

    Nice outline you got there, alliteration and all. I like it 🙂 Preach it man.

    I agree that Baptist identity needs serious renewal based on the theological convictions and distinctives expressed in Scripture and articulated in our confessional history. I will presume that if you were to ask the typical Southern Baptist who is sitting in the pew why they are Baptist, I don’t think they will answer with a summary of the Baptist Faith and Message. That might sound pessimistic, but I have yet to be convinced otherwise (although I would love to be).

    Some with argue that you are not a loyal Southern Baptist if you do not use FAITH as an outreach strategy, or you don’t tow the party line in the political back-room scheming, or prescribe the personal preferences of abstinence (for example). Unfortunately, the politics and controversy have eclipsed the polity and confessional as the defining realities of the modern Southern Baptist.

    Let’s work, hope, and pray for continued renewal and reform in the SBC. One of the biggest struggles we are facing is the triumphalistic disposition which castigates anyone who challenges status quo or calls for change. It won’t come easy or overnight, but if it doesn’t come, we might be finding ourselves decades later asking whatever happened to the SBC.

  6. Timmy,

    Thank you for liveblogging the event. I wanted quite badly to attend, but simply could not. Being so close makes it all the more disappointing.

    Waiting…

  7. Andy,

    Yeah, we are actually crashing at my parents house in Athens and driving to Muscle Shoals. Everyone who I have talked to is really excited about the conference. I hope it is a foretaste of even greater things to come.

  8. Timmy,

    Good words. I think we will have to continue to expose the problems that exist in our churches today, but I agree totally with your emphasis to move past the problems to the positive solutions. I’m still fleshing this out in my own church context.

    I could mention my friend Jeff Riddle, pastor of Jefferson Park Baptist Church in Charlottesville, Virginia, which is near the campus of the University of Virginia. He came in several years ago to a church that was pretty much liberal in theology and led them by the grace of God to embrace the Word of God fully. They have experienced reform and renewal in wonderful ways. I am always blessed when I come in contact with his people. They reflect such a hunger for God. I know that it did not come easy. Jeff trusted God through some difficult times to lead the church to where it is today. They recently had a series of meeting with Paul Washer, btw.

    I look forward to seeing you at FBC Muscle Shoals. I’m glad you’re live-blogging. I know this conference is going to be special. I think it’s a testiment to what God is just beginning to do in our churches.

    Grace,
    TBH

  9. Timmy,

    Hey, if you, by chance, have a spare 30 minutes or so (even if it’s crazy early), I’d like to buy you a cup of Starbucks while you’re in town.

    If you can’t, I understand.

    Email me if you’re up for it. Maybe Jimmy can join us?

  10. Travis,

    Thanks for passing along the info about Jefferson Park Baptist and Jeff Riddle. Making the turn from liberal to conservative is rare indeed. I am excited to hear how God is working in VA.

    I look forward to meeting you as well. We need to do lunch or something.

  11. Andy,

    Let’s look at Sunday. The conference looks pretty tight from start to finish, so afterwards might be the best time to get together. I will email you. Jimmy joining us? We always welcome sinners. 😉

    (just kidding Jimmy, P&P gots love for thee)

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